


but i can(t) save you

by v1ewmonster



Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound
Genre: Banter, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Gen, Near Death, Not Canon Compliant, Rivalry, Stream of Consciousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23361463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v1ewmonster/pseuds/v1ewmonster
Summary: It's best not to leave an old friend hanging.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	but i can(t) save you

**Author's Note:**

> i noticed that there aren't many fics that established a rivalry between ness and porky, so i decided to write something about it! their dynamic is really fun to write, and i hope that i'll be able to write more about them and expand their characterization a bit more.

The road to Carpainter was a long one, but that’s perfectly okay. Ness has defeated him, so everything is fine now, right? He has the key to the cabin, so he should be fine. 

However, he can’t say for sure whether he’s okay or not. He had been electrocuted a multitude of times, with blood starting to gush out from the laceration in his leg, though he can only see blue streaks instead of red, unless it happens to be a mix of both. His vision is becoming a blur as well, stopping every few seconds any time he felt close to fainting. 

He should have taken that Franklin Badge. He insisted to Paula that he was fine, that he could handle his own, but _of course_ he ended up being wrong! It makes him wish that he could tell Paula how sorry he is that he didn’t accept her help, but how can he do that when he feels that he’s on the verge of dying? 

He stops in his tracks for a moment, stuck in limbo, wondering for a second. Is he dead? And if he isn’t… is this the end? Because he sure feels like that’s the case. 

However he’s feeling, he could feel his throat close up, barely allowing any breath to escape, facing the ground and reeling forward.

That’s when Porky finds him, collapsed in the middle of Happy Happy Village. A sigh escapes from his lips, wondering what the hell his business is around here. And why is he covered in paint and blood? These are questions reserved for when he wakes up, _if_ he wakes up. 

He looks around to see if any of those blue freaks were around, but he couldn’t see any. Once the coast is clear, he grabs Ness by the armpits, heaving him over his shoulder.

Maybe there’s a hospital around here, Porky thinks. By becoming aware of his surroundings again, he realizes that there isn’t one (not surprising, since it _is_ a small town). At the realization, he groans, tightly grabbing onto Ness and walking towards the direction of a small cave nearby. 

  
  
Ness gets his wits together in the hospital. 

He wonders how his legs got him here, especially when they were plastered with lacerations. He’s surprised he even got here in time, and how he somehow isn’t dead. He hugs his knees, overwhelmed with relief that he’s _alive_ , that he can _keep going_. 

Until he realizes who brought him here.

Porky Minch saunters into the hospital room, a look on his face that suggests that he regrets some things. He ignores it, watching him inch closer to his bed. 

“So it was you?” Ness asks. He doesn’t recall any of this. He thought that _he_ was the one who hauled himself to the hospital, but now Porky has come to say otherwise. 

“Uhh, _yeah_ ,” Porky says bitterly. “You were close to dead when I found you. Honestly, I would have left you to die if I so pleased, but I felt bad, so I carried you over here. What were you doing there, anyway?” 

Ness is close to saying “I could say the same to you,” but he bites back his words. Instead, he says, “Thanks, Porky… and I was tryna save someone.”

Porky cackles. “To the point where you almost _died_? Of course _you’d_ take great lengths to help a guy out.” 

“What’s wrong with that?” 

“Nothing, I’m just saying…”

He watches Porky pace around, thinking of a topic of conversation. He hasn’t talked to Ness in a while, not in a healthy environment like this… and who knows what Ness thinks of him now? All good things, he hopes. After all, he just saved him from what could have been death.

He wonders how Ness can sit there, watching him act like a _fool_. Maybe he pities him, seeing such a poignant, terrible sight. That’s the only way he can understand it, at the moment. 

Ness can involuntarily hear his thoughts, trying his best to shove them to the back of his mind, but they creep to the forefront eventually. Have they really barely interacted all this time? Ness would have to say otherwise, but he waits for Porky’s thoughts to be at a standstill, watching him steadily face him. 

“So,” Porky says, dragging out the syllables in an awkward manner, “a world-saving journey, huh? How’s that going?” 

“Well, seeing as I _almost_ died, I’d say it’s goin’ swell,” Ness says. 

Porky continues to look at him, stone-faced as ever. Actually, he looks pretty agitated. Of course he’s angry if he’d rather leave his friend to die. “Cool, I guess…”

“Hey, uhh—” Ness’ voice causes Porky to jump. _Now_ he says something—“What were you doin’ back there? Not that I ain’t grateful for your help or anything. I’m just wonderin’.”

Porky gazes at him sidelong. “None of your concern. It’s something your pea brain wouldn’t even _begin_ to understand.”

“I’d like to test that theory,” Ness says. There’s a certain tanginess to his tone that Porky can’t quite place. “Go on, try me!” 

Porky growls, facing him with full force. He doesn’t need to know _anything_ . He doesn’t need to know what he was doing, and he _definitely_ doesn’t need to know his plans to escape his family! He doesn’t need to know _any_ of it!

“Listen up, _you_ ,” He points at Ness this time. “We’re _rivals_ , got that? And _rivals_ don’t tell each other anything!” 

Ness shifts his weight. “So is that the reason why you kept me alive? To spark a rivalry with me?” He doesn’t sound disappointed at all. The opposite, in fact. A tone that indicates a disturbing amount of intrigue. 

“Of course!” Porky bellows. “Only a _coward_ would leave their rival to die when it’s just getting started!” 

“...alright then.” Ness says softly. “Whatever you say. I’m just gonna rest for now.” The wounds still hurt, he figures out after a while of talking. He’s exhausted, too, even though the sun is only about to set. Though he doesn’t plan on breaking Porky’s spirit anytime soon.

“Oh, right,” Porky says, disappointment on his tongue. He doesn’t bother saying goodbye; only a simple wave will do. He sees Ness wave back in the corner of his eye, making him want to laugh in his face. 

He stands near the door, the regret of not leaving him to die still lingering. He doesn’t _understand_ why he carries such hatred for him, other than the fact that he’s trying to suppress the urge to come back in there and punch him in the mouth.

It’s not like he hates him, per say, but the only emotion he can articulate when the thought of Ness comes into view is anger. He’s done nothing wrong, obediently listening to Porky’s musings, usually about his family. But he can’t _believe_ that Ness is trying to be nice to him. There’s no way!

But that doesn’t matter now. Nothing matters, when the only thing he carries on his sleeve is resentment. So he wears it with pride, hoping Ness would someday do the same. 

And maybe… just maybe...

He can find a way to pay him back in the most satisfying way possible.


End file.
